Amazing! This smartphone app can detect Zika, dengue in 30 minutes

Researchers including one of Indian origin have developed a smartphone-controlled, battery-operated diagnostic device claims to detect Zika, dengue and chikungunya within 30 minutes. The device, developed by the team at Sandia National Labs, part of

Researchers including one of Indian origin have developed a smartphone-controlled, battery-operated diagnostic device claims to detect Zika, dengue and chikungunya within 30 minutes.

The device, developed by the team at Sandia National Labs, part of the US Department of Energy, is based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) diagnostic method which eliminates the need to process a biological sample such as blood or urine, before testing.

"In addition to creating an app that serves as a simple interface to operate the device, we were able to adapt smartphone camera sensors to replace traditional laboratory sample analysis tools, allowing for unprecedented mobility," said Aashish Priye, chemical engineer and lead author of the paper.

LAMP also eliminates the need for extra sample preparation before testing.

"We've demonstrated that the chemistry we're using can amplify viral RNA directly from raw, unprocessed samples," said Sandia chemical engineer and project lead Robert Meagher.

Meagher and his team developed a technique known as quenching of unincorporated amplification signal reporters (QUASR), that involves tagging fragments of synthesised viral DNA called primers with fluorophores -- molecules that emit bright light signals.

By enabling diagnosis in 30 minutes, the device could help clinicians make faster decisions about patient care and isolation, and rapidly alert public health authorities so they can take measures to prevent spread of the virus.

Furthermore, Zika, dengue and chikungunya are spread by the same mosquito type and have similar early symptoms.

Sandia's prototype diagnostic tool could enable care providers to test quickly for all three at the same time, preventing misdiagnoses.

The same tool can also be adapted to detect other human or animal pathogens.

The Sandia team described the rapid-testing prototype in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.